BP, oh my.

Second year nursing students weren't kidding when they said the workload was huge. Last night I already had to take a 10 minute breather to just relax and fight off the overwhelming feeling of never ending work. Hopefully it has to do with getting back into the routine of things too. It's not easy getting back into study mode after a lazy Christmas break!

On the bright side, lab - a class to learn and practice hands-on nursing skills - was great this morning. We did a review of skills from last semester, which included basic - but important! - procedures like blood pressure, temperature, etc. Finding BP manually is a finicky thing to get right. I'm sure it's a breeze for experienced nurses, but at 8 in the morning, it's a stinker. After a few attempts, however, I think I did just fine. Automatic BP, on the other hand, is a laugh. The hardest thing is wheeling the machine over and cuffing it to the patient. After that, all you really need to is press GO. I know - 4 years of school so I can press GO on a machine? Really.

Here's something cool I discovered: Last semester, in lab, my BP was 125/90-ish, more or less normal. My pulse, on the other hand, was 90-95. Significantly high for just sitting on a bed!! Today in lab, my BP was 110/60 (almost low!) and pulse was 70 (great!). I was astonished at the difference! Turns out, my new-found running routine has shifted my vitals significantly in a matter of weeks. Apparently, cardiovascular activity has almost instantaneous effects on heart health. Similarly, no activity can have almost immediate detrimental effects. I have always known that exercise was beneficial, but to see positive changes so quickly is something else. Although I mentally feel great from exercising, seeing the results in a physiological sense was really encouraging.

Although winter has only just begun, I'm already looking forward to summer. Not for the heat or sunshine (which I could definitely live without), but because I may be able to work as a camp nurse at Nakamun. Nothing has been set out or arranged, but the prospect is very exciting. Hopefully I can post an update soon!

Otherwise, I'm soaking up this lucky 30 minute break between classes. On a typical Thursday, my days run from 8 to 330 with back to back classes. Thankfully, lab was done a tad early so I now have a chance to chow down some grub and blog before tackling the rest of the day.

Happy Tuesday!
D.